Healthy Banana Bread!
With this healthy banana bread recipe, you're only a few basic ingredients away from the best banana bread ever! It's made with whole wheat flour and honey.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Want to make someone’s day? Bake them some banana bread! Just yesterday, I said, “I’m going to bake some banana bread,” and watched a full-grown man’s eyes light up like a kid’s on Christmas morning.
Banana bread is one of those classic, all-American comfort food recipes that fills the whole house with warmth and makes everything better. Banana bread is magic.
I perfected this banana bread recipe for my cookbook and wanted to share with you here. This recipe has all the hallmarks of classic banana bread—it’s fluffy, moist, infused with sweet banana flavor, and beloved by toddlers and adults alike.
Bonus? This recipe requires just one bowl, a few measuring cups and some basic ingredients.
What makes this banana bread healthy?
- This banana bread recipe is made with 100 percent whole wheat flour, unlike traditional banana bread recipes that call for refined flour and lots of processed sugar.
- This banana bread is naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup, which offer some trace nutrients that white sugar does not.
- Lastly, this recipe calls for a reasonable amount of unrefined oil rather than whole sticks of butter (choose from virgin coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil).
As you can see, my homemade banana bread has plenty of redeeming qualities, chief being that it won’t send your blood sugar levels for a loop. You can keep them all to yourself, though. No one will be able to tell that this is healthy banana bread!
Banana Bread Flour Options
This recipe is flexible! Any of the following flours will work well. I love to use white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour—they offer all the whole wheat nutrients, without the characteristically nutty flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- Oat flour*
- Spelt flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- White whole wheat flour
*To substitute oat flour, you’ll need to use 2 1/2 cups, for reasons elaborated in my guide to oat flour.
Want to make your banana bread with almond flour? You sure can, but it’s not a simple substitute, so follow my almond flour-based banana bread recipe instead.
Tip: How to Measure Flour
For best results, it’s important to measure your flour properly. Here’s how to measure flour in cups using the “spoon and swoop” method:
- Gently stir your flour with a large spoon to loosen it up.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup (don’t scoop it in!).
- Level off the excess with a butter knife.
Banana Bread Variations
Now that I’ve finally perfected this basic banana bread, feel free to change up this recipe and make it your own. Toss some chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter! Same goes for chocolate chips. You could also add raisins, chopped dried fruit or slices of bananas.
Craving muffins instead? Follow my recipe for healthy banana muffins.
Following a special diet? With a couple of minor tweaks, you can make this bread vegan (so dairy free and egg free, too) or gluten free. Check the recipe notes for details.
Watch How to Make Healthy Banana Bread
Healthy Banana Bread
With this healthy banana bread recipe, you’re only a few simple ingredients away from the best banana bread ever! It’s made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. You can easily make this banana bread vegan or gluten free—check the recipe notes for details. Recipe yields 1 loaf (about 10 slices).
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
- ½ cup honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
- ¼ cup (56 grams) milk of choice or water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
- 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour**
- Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes. You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan. Carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey whole wheat banana bread, originally based on All Recipes.
Storage suggestions: This bread is moist, so it will keep for just two or three days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for five to seven days, or in the freezer for up to three months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by letting them rest at room temperature or lightly toasting them.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**Flour alternatives: In place of the whole wheat flour, you can use an equal amount of all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Or, substitute 2 ½ cups oat flour.
Make muffins: Here’s my banana muffin recipe.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Make it gluten free: Use an equal amount of Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free blend or 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour. Do NOT substitute coconut flour.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
If you love this recipe: You will also love my banana muffins, banana cake with cream cheese frosting, healthy pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Here are all of my baked goods and banana recipes.
Recommended equipment: I am totally in love with my Fiesta Loaf Pan in Turquoise (affiliate link).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I have one baking in the oven right now but I am wondering are the cup sizes American? ie 240ml instead of 250ml? Thanks:-)
The measurements are American cups. :)
My wife asked for a baked gift to hand out at work. I’ve made hundreds of pumpkin chocolate chip mini loaves for neighbors at Christmas, but banana bread seemed more appropriate for Spring than pumpkin, so I gave this recipe a try today. Another winner!
To make 16 mini loaves, I baked 8 at a time. To fill 8 mini pans Kate, I tripled your recipe and added 3 cups of mini chocolate chips (for a gift, it couldn’t be completely healthy!).
To make 2 triple batches of your recipe I needed 12 very ripe bananas. Since I didn’t have that, I found a solution online. To rapidly ripen bananas you can either put them in an oven on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 15-30 minutes, or poke them with a fork, unpeeled, a buncha times and put one at a time in a microwave for 30 second blasts until they reach desired softness. I used the microwave method and was astounded by how well it works. The skins even blackened like an old banana.
Instagram photo posted, Kate.
Thanks, Erik
Thank you for sharing, Erik! I appreciate the review.
Okay so I just made this with flax eggs, almond milk and added in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and it’s AMAZING!! I think it’s the best banana bread I’ve ever made and it’s so incredibly moist! Thank you so much for the recipe
Wonderful! Love to hear that. Thanks so much for your review.
Was a bit of a skeptic….thought using wholemeal flour it would be dry and nutty but OMG I couldn’t have been more wrong – used Maple Syrup (not honey) and added choc chips – but the loaf really didn’t need them – once I’d converted the cups to grams (I’m British) I was away! Tastes great and really easy to make! Healthy and quick will definitely be making this beaut again!
Well, thanks so much for trying! I love hearing people step outside of their comfort zone or are a bit of a skeptic. I appreciate the review, Jacqui.
Love this recipe!!! I use wholemeal spelt flour, rice malt syrup & add chopped walnuts…great combination!! Would like to freeze it one day but it just disappears whenever I make it!!! Thanks Kate x
Wonderful, Trish! Hard to freeze when you just eat it all up. :)
I’ve made this several times and my family loves it. I double the recipe and both cakes only last a few days. It’s very moist. I use almond milk and almond flour and add chopped walnuts. I’m sure that with the coconut oil and all of the nuts it’s pretty high in fat and calories but it’s a treat and is still healthy and yummy!
Healthy fat in moderation is good for you :) Thanks for sharing, Brandi.
I made this recipe last night with whole wheat Einkorn flour! Wow, tastes SO good. Definitely making this again soon, THANK YOU for the great recipe!!
Thank you, Jeavoni, for your review and comment! I appreciate it.
How are all your recipes so easy and turn out so well?? Used avocado oil as that was all I had on hand and it turned out perfectly – really moist!!!
Thank you for saying so! I work really hard at them. Lots of testing! Thank you, for your review.
I just made this tonight and it is so perfect! My husband loved it and said I will have to make it again. :)
Love it! Thank you, for the review Jennifer.
Kudos, Kate. This is a great recipe! I made it with sprouted wheat flour, almond milk, and olive oil. I’m recovering from a bout with gastritis and have been cooking for “scratch” using ingredients I can tolerate. This was a sweet treat for a change of pace.
Thank you, Carleen! Thanks so much for sharing your variation. I appreciate it!
Hi Kate! It’s been a few years since you posted this recipe but here I am three years later using it for my very first attempt at banana bread… and it’s REALLY good! I had a very serious lifestyle change 6 months ago and had to consider better ingredients in everything I made. My boyfriend isn’t savvy on nutrition but he LOVED this bread recipe (and he loves his loaves so he is selective)! I am making it for the second time this morning. I’d also like to give you mad props for posting the nutritional information. I’ve saved it on My Fitness Pal for those like me who are also counting calories. It’s SO important for us to have those facts! Thank you times a thousand for sharing :)
You’re welcome, a thousand times! I’m happy you posted again. Thank you, for your review.
I’ve just made this – my house is now a home complete with the fresh aroma of baked banana bread. Can’t wait to get in to a big slab of it in 5,4,3….! Thanks so much for the healthy recipe! I used coconut oil and milk as my options and stuck fast to your recipe. Needed to bake it that extra 5 minutes until the skewer came out clean. Thanks again : )
You’re welcome! Thanks for the review, Teri.
I made this banana bread this morning (followed the recipe) and it is delicious!!! My 16 year old son loved it as well! Very easy too! Thank you for this healthy keeper of a recipe!!!Lisa
Love it! Thank you, Lisa.
Can you substitute the flour for Gluten Free self raising?
I recommend Bob’s Gluten Free flour for this recipe! Let me know what you think.
I made it and the bread came out yummy !
Great, Tina!
I made this recipe since I was out of butter and wanted a banana bread with coconut oil. Since we had enough bananas, I made one with honey and one with maple syrup. I didn’t have whole wheat flour so I used AP flour. They are both delicious!! My new go-to banana bread recipe!
Wonderful, Nicole!
This is the best banana bread recipe I have ever made. Thanks for sharing Kate. Regards from Brazil!
You’re very welcome! I appreciate the star review.
As a rule I replace oil with unsweetened apple sauce in most cake and muffin recipes. In this recipe it comes out perfect.
Thanks for sharing, Masha!
I love this banana bread! Do you have a recipe for healthy cupcakes?
I don’t have much for cupcakes, but checkout my dessert options. https://asset-flow.pro/category/food-recipes/dessert/%3C/a%3E Hope this helps some!
This looks totally delicious. I’m going to bake it this afternoon and I think I’ll add chocolate chips : )
What did you think, Victoria?!
used vegetable oil and all purpose flour instead and sprinkled brown sugar on top together with the extra cinnamon. Outcome: crispy bread top. subtle sweetness – maybe i should use over ripe bananas next time. moistness of the bread is just ok. not that moist though. overall yummy
Thanks for sharing!
The best banana bread I’ve ever made. If I can do it, anyone can! We are beekeepers in Ohio specializing in raw, organically raised honey. I can compiling a list of the best honey recipes and I will be linking to this one! Thanks so much!
It is a pretty simple and great recipe! I’m glad you were successful with it too. I appreciate the review, Maggie.
Really sweet tasting, could use less Honey, but so moist and yummy. I used gluten free flour from Woolworths. It was nice and held together well. My professional cook friend said it didn’t rise properly at the bottom, but frankly I thought it was perfect.
I’m glad you liked it! You can cut back on sweetness by lowering amount of honey, if needed. Thanks for sharing!
I used half the amount of honey (1/4 cup) and added in chopped dates and walnuts. Delicious!!
Wonderful, Sallie! Thanks for sharing.
THis recipe is absolutely deliciousssss and perfect!!!! I’ve been looking for a banana bread recipe has been a long time! All my other recipes were a big flop!!! Dry, too sweet, etc. I felt like making banana bread today for my 1 year old boy who was watching tv this morning and saw a grandma baking banana bread to her grandson and he said”hummmmnmm ” so I googled ‘the best banana bread recipe’ and I’m sooooooo pop im soooooooooo glad i came across ours!!!! Thank you!!!!
I’m glad you came across it too and found one that works so well for you! It’s a great moist and delicious bread. I appreciate the review, Ana.
Dear Kate,
I absolutely love this recipe! Made it today and it is so tastefull and incredibly moist!!
I used rice oil, since that was the only non high processed oil the supermarket had at the time.
Next time I am going to ad more nuts plus I also placed some banana slices on top. Jummy!!
Wonderful! Thanks, Manon.
I stumbled upon this recipe online and gave it a try.
The first time I baked, the bread was less sweet than my liking but after 1 day in the fridge it became a bit sweeter. And all of my friends were in love with it.
So juicy but not buttery… Very guilt-free!
The second time I added a little bit more honey and it was perfect.
I love this recipe!
Thank you so much Kate :)
I’m glad it ended delicious for you! I appreciate the review, Gab.
This is one of my fav recipes and my children love it aswell. Thankyou for sharing!
You’re welcome, Zoe!
Just made this banana bread and added dark chocolate chips it was delicious I was wondering could ya use agave instead of honey if ya had no honey ?
I would use maple syrup instead, if you don’t have honey.
I made this for my baby’s 1st birthday, with a cream cheese frosting :) he looooved it! I ended up baking another one for his daycare and everyone liked it so much, it was hard to believe it was sugarfree!
That’s great! You should checkout my banana cake too :) https://asset-flow.pro/2018/favorite-banana-cake-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This is the best banana bread I have ever made.
Great to hear, Lisa!
Can’t see the nutrition label. Please can you make it visible? Thanks
You need to click on the header to expand. Hope this helps!
I’ve made this recipe a number of times. I change it up by adding apples, dried plumbs or berries. And walnuts or almonds. Makes for a wonderful satisfying and quick breakfast!!!!
I love how you have varied the recipe! Thank you, Sandra for your comment and review.
First time making banana bread. It came out perfect! Love the use of maple instead of white sugar. My 5yr old loved it! I used almond milk instead of water. And used walnuts as well. Thanks soo much!!
Wonderful, Melissa! Thank you, for your review.
I made this recipe and brought a few pieces to my neighbor across the street, still warm from baking. It was devoured in minutes. So good. I will definitely make this again and again. Thanks Kate!
That’s great! Thank you, Ron for sharing.
Delicious, light and fluffy. I subbed spelt flour.
THANKS!!!
You’re welcome! Thank you, Kati.
MmmMmm I made the Healthy Banana Bread by the recipe but decided to add a few goodies at the last minute :
1 scoop of my Vega Plant Based Protein and Greens Powder,
1 scoop(10g) of Carrington Farms Organic Chia Seeds, and
1 scoop (10g) of BioOptimal Collagen Powder
I had to bake it a little longer because it is so dense but….
This is by far THE best Banana Bread ever. Thank you! Mine even looks like the picture :)
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you were able to make it your own. Yes, it would be a little more dense with those add-ins.
This recipe is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! It’s the 2nd time I’m making banana bread this week :D So a fun fact, I’m aware that you specifically told us in your recipe to not use baking powder, however I didn’t have any baking soda at home, so I subsituted it with baking powder (I used a little bit more than twice as much as the recipe calls for) and it worked out really well too :)
Thank you, Verena for your review.
I made this with my toddler, who was in charge of smashing the bananas. He and the rest of my family loved the recipe. I used 1/2 the amount of sweetener you suggested to make it even healthier and it still tastes great.
Thank you, Jennifer for sharing!
This banana bread is amazing!!
Thank you!
Made the banana bread and it was awesome! Pleased a 37 year old husband and a 2.5 year old daughter :) 5 out of 5! Meg, Australia
Great!
This recipe is PERFECTION, seriously! My one-and-only, go-to banana bread recipe. It’s simple, healthy, and so so delicious! I’ve made it so many times I’ve got the recipe engrained in my mind. Thanks a million!
Kate – I substituted applesauce for oil and the bread NEVER baked. It was in for an hour and a half at 325! It seemed finally baked (toothpick coming out clean) but then when I pulled it out it sunk and when I cut into it was almost completely raw. I want to try it again because I’m looking for a healthier banana bread recipe…What should I try differently? A higher oven temp? More flour? Thanks!!
Fantastic recipe – rich dense banana bread. I used whole wheat flour (not white whole wheat) and added 1/2 c. chopped pecans and 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips with excellent results.
I have been looking for the perfect banana bread recipe for a long time now. Tried a bunch (there are A LOT of recipes online) your recipe is without a doubt my whole house favorite (hubby used to complain that the banana bread is to dry – not with this recipe!) Thank you!!
I just made the healthy banan bread. I put all ingredients except flour into the food processor and the poured it onto the flour and folded in in. It works a treat. I used sunflower oil and maple syrup and the bread is delicious. You are right, I will never make it again with white flour.
Thanks for sharing, Susan!
I just made this recipe and it’s delicious! So moist and flavorful. My daughter has an egg allergy, but she is now able to eat eggs if they are baked into things. Her doctor recommended we give her a serving of something with baked egg a few times a week to build up her tolerance. I was envisioning her eating a ton of sugary treats, but I’m SO glad I found this recipe that doesn’t use refined sugar because I don’t feel guilty giving it to her! Thank you!
I’m glad you found it too, Amy! Thanks so much for your review and comment. Good luck! Hopefully she grows out of it.
You mentioned melted coconut oil in your first ingredient. Do I place it in the microwave for a few seconds?
Yes, melt it for a few seconds. If it solidifies once, microwave briefly. Hope this helps!
Yum, just made this and it smells divine baking away in the oven. Aussie living in Germany here, thank you for this delish recipe! Always looking for healthy snacks for my two little ones, happy to have stumbled across this one :-)
Let me know what you (and they) think!
I had some over-ripe bananas and didn’t want them to go to waste so I looked up recipes using bananas and whole wheat flour. Your recipe had everything I had on hand so I decided to try it out.
I used chakki atta which is an Indian style whole wheat flour that is ground to a fine powder. I used slightly less coconut oil and omitted the cinnamon. For the sweetener I used half honey and half maple syrup since I happened to have both. And for a little extra treat I added semi-sweet chocolate chips.
The banana bread is so delicious and it is the perfect post workout treat. I can really smell the coconut oil in the batter but I cannot taste it in the baked bread.
I am planning on going to the store to buy the most ripe bananas i can find so i can make another batch before this one runs out!!
Thanks for sharing, Tico!